Everyone is talking about Star Wars: Episode 7, what it’s going to be about and who will play key roles in the new film in 2015. According to sources linked to the sequel, Harrison Ford is open to bringing Han Solo back to the big screen. Entertainment Weekly Inside Movies has more: “Harrison is open to the idea of doing the movie and he’s upbeat about it, all three of them are,” said one highly placed source, referring to Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher, the trio that made a hyper-speed jump to global fame on May 25, 1977, the opening night for George Lucas’s original Star Wars film. The actor, now 70, is plenty proud of Indy, Jack Ryan, John Book, and Dr. Richard Kimble but in the past he didn’t disguise his disdain for Solo. “As a character he was not so interesting to me,” the frosty Ford explained in…
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How Will the Star Wars Expanded Universe Be Affected by the Disney Buyout?
Everyone is talking about the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm since the news was revealed yesterday but one question that we have on our minds is what will happen to the Expanded Universe now that this buyout has taken place? It’s far too early to say for certain so all anyone can do is speculate but this does bring up some important questions. A sequel trilogy would cause an upheaval in the galaxy far, far away for sure. It may disturb the continuity that has been part of the community for a very long time now. There are fans of all types and all age ranges out there who have spent their time in a post-Return of the Jedi atmosphere that could very well be turned on its heels. While we don’t know any more than the fact that there will be another movie, we cannot begin to guess what this…
Star Wars: Episode 7 to be “Original Story”
Since hearing the news that Disney bought Lucasfilm and there will be a new Star Wars movie, fans all over the world are speculation on what ‘Episode 7’ will be about. A Lucasfilm source says that this will be an all original story. What we do know for sure about Star Wars: Episode 7 is that Lucas himself won’t have a big hand in the day-to-day creation of it, although he did say he will assist and oversee the film (after previously saying he would never do another Star Wars movie). But some fans are actually happy to know that Lucas won’t have such a big hand it in (perhaps they are secretly hoping to never see Jar Jar Binks killed off permanently). Ok, so while Star Wars fans everywhere are speculating about what the new movie will entail, there are some facts that might surprise you. E Online (UK)…
Interview with Voice Actor Marc Thompson Narrator of Star Wars Audio Books
Voice actor Marc Thompson who is the narrator of the Star Wars audio books was at the Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando Florida for their annual get together. This event took place on August 25th 2012. He was gracious enough to give an interview and he spoke about how exciting it was for him to be the “voice” of the Star Wars audio books since he is such a huge fan of the series. He also explained his technique for coming up with the different voices and the processes that take place to make each character an individual. It is very interesting to learn that he actually looks at illustrations of characters and takes their race into account when choosing the right voice or tonal quality for a character. As a bonus, he even offers a couple of character voices and explains the difference between doing a cartoon voice…
Star Wars prequels 3D reissues set for back-to-back releases in Fall 2013
Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox are taking a page out of the successful 1997 re-release of the original “Star Wars” trilogy as they prepare for a 3-D launch of two more movies from the space saga next year. “”Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” and “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith,” the fifth and sixth movies — but the second and third chronologically — will be released in 3-D on Sept. 20, 2013 and Oct. 11, 2013, respectively. Lucasfilm announced the news on its Facebook page Monday. Putting the two movies three weeks apart mirrors Fox and Lucasfilm’s strategy 15 years ago when the original “Star Wars,” “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” were re-released in three-week increments over the winter. The approach can help create the feeling of a major fan event lasting a month or more. It will also save marketing dollars, as Fox (which handles distribution and…
Star Wars fans gather force for Celebration VI in Orlando
The biggest “Star Wars” party this side of the galaxy continues this weekend in a city not far, far away from Brevard. “Star Wars” fans young and old are in for a real treat as Star Wars Celebration VI returns to the Orlando Convention Center. Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Seth Green, Dave Filoni and Kevin Smith are among the guests, along with the many fans emulating C-3PO, storm troopers, Darth Vader, Princess Leia and Han Solo. For David White of Titusville, a member of the Mandalorian Mercs, which celebrates the subculture of “Star Wars” bounty hunter Boba Fett, the celebration means a chance to don his costume for a good cause. His group will host a jail and bail event in which the Mercs arrest or release folks, with proceeds going to charity. “The last celebration, we only ran it for six or seven hours on one day, and we…
Fans Fix Up Luke Skywalker’s Home
A group of very dedicated Star Wars fans took it upon themselves to recreate and build the “Lars Homestead,” which was featured as hero Luke Skywalker’s home in the first-released installment of the series, “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” in 1977, again in the 2002 release of “Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones,” and finally in the last movie theatrically released, 2005’s “Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.”” The igloo-shaped home, was a venture that fan Mark Dermul of Belgium began dating back to April 2001, noted on the fan’s official website, where he traveled to the African nation of Tunisia to locate where filming for the “Star Wars” series was done. Dermul and a group of other “Star Wars” fans from around the world ventured back to the Tunisian desert over the years, as part of their “Tatooine Reunion,” noted the website, and…
Happy Birthday, “STAR WARS”! When did you first see it?
We got so caught up in all of the Mega server news and BioWare Layoffs, that I almost forgot that last Friday was the 35th anniversary of the premiere of Star Wars. On May 25, 1977, George Lucas premiered “Episode IV: A New Hope” and changed the lives of kids like me (I don’t think I saw the movie until later in the summer, when word spread about how good the movie was). In fact, the anniversary has spawned another “holiday”, known as “Geek Pride Day.” Here’s one of my favorite scenes from the film, the attack on the Death Star (aka the “trench run”). I still get chills watching this: The effects of Star Wars on the world are too numerous to list here on this blog post. From movie-making techniques to the explosion of science-fiction in books, movies and TV and even YouTube, to video games and beyond,…
Kudos to George Lucas – but this Time It Doesn’t Involve Star Wars
So we’re all a little ticked at George Lucas for “retiring” from Star Wars but he just did something cool enough to redeem himself- at least a little in the eyes of fans. In case you were not previously aware, Lucas has been in a battle with his neighbors for years because he wanted to build a movie studio in what they considered to be their backyards. Here’s a pic from the San Francisco Chronicle: George Lucas will not be building a 270,000 square foot digital media production compound on Grady Ranch in San Rafael, Calif., on the clear hillside (front left, in front of red roof) fronting a 174 house community seen in the background on Friday, March 30, 2012. So instead, he’s decided to build something else, something that’s really better for the greater good than a media studio anyway. He has decided to turn his large piece…
Bonnie Burton laid off from Lucasfilm
Bonnie Burton, the face and voice of Star Wars fandom (especially for females) has announced via her Twitter that they have laid her off. She was the online contact with the fandom. The ways things have been going with Lucasfilm and StarWars.com, it almost looks like they are trying to do away with things that involve the fan community. It’s really hard to say what this move was all about. Bonnie was a huge asset to the company. She wrote content for the website and handled social media. She was hired in 2003, during the run-up to Revenge of the Sith. One thing that is for certain- Bonnie can land another job easily with her experience and her skills. In my opinion, freelancing is really where it’s at these days for writing and social media anyway. Companies are too unpredictable. You never know when the next one is going to…
Do You Ever Wonder How Lightsabers Got their Famous Sound?
Well now you can hear the story as Ben Burtt talks about creating the sounds for the lightsabers in Star Wars. As he worked on “A New Hope”, Burtt probably wasn’t aware that he was inventing modern sound design. This is a really cool video to help you learn more about lightsabers came to have this distinct sound that we all know and recognize from the movies, games and even toy lightsabers (yes, I own a few of those). Check out the awesome video to learn more. Also remember to check our old “How stuff works” post on Lightsabers. Who knows, you might learn something 🙂
George Lucas says there will ‘never’ be a new ‘Star Wars’
Star Wars fans may not be happy to hear that George Lucas says there will never be a new Star Wars. Ouch! If you’ve been waiting for Episodes VII, VIII and IX to someday hit the theaters, it’s not happening, says Lucas. It’s not actually the first time that he’s said he has retired from the Star Wars genre but this time he made it sound pretty final. It’s like Lucas is saying “I made my decision, now stop asking me. On Wednesday, George Lucas blasted away any chance of ever seeing a new birth of the “Star Wars” franchise when TMZ briefly caught him leaving a Hollywood restaurant. Asked when the newest installment of “Star Wars” would be, Lucas was blunt: “Never,” he said, adding “I’m retired.” We’ve written about this before and it does seem like Lucas is a bit bitter over the fans who didn’t like what…
Darth Malgus Life Size Figure from Sideshow Collectibles
What will your friends and family think when you have a giant Darth Malgus in your living room? Who cares! This is cool! If you’re a fan of Darth Malgus, Star Wars and Star Wars lore or collectibles, you are going to love this great find from SideShowToy.com. This is an incredible life-sized Darth Malgus figure. I’m pretty sure the pictures don’t do it justice at all. The description says: “Sideshow Collectibles is proud to present the Darth Malgus Life Size figure. Capturing the vicious Sith Lord of The Old Republic in startlingly realistic 1:1 scale, the looming figure measures over 7 feet tall and more then 3 feet wide. Each piece is individually hand painted and finished to exacting standards, the trademark of a handcrafted Sideshow Collectibles product. Featuring a light up saber, LED light up components in the chest, collar, and wrist gauntlets, highly detailed armor, and a…
Kinect Star Wars Launch Trailer- Feel the Force
Feel the Force when you are the controller- I know what my son wants for his birthday but will it be as big of a hit as many are expecting? Coming soon on April 3rd is Kinect Star Wars and they’ve now released the official launch trailer. What you will see missing from the trailer is Kinect Star Wars‘ dance mode, which didn’t come off as such a hit when it was revealed before. The game comes with five dynamic modes Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising, Podracing Rancor Rampage Galactic Dance Off Duels of Fate “Kinect Star Wars brings the Star Wars Universe to life like never before. Harnessing the controller-free power of Kinect for Xbox 360, Kinect Star Wars allows fans to physically experience training as a Jedi, using the Force and battling with a lightsaber. Using full body motions, players can live out the ultimate Star Wars fantasy,…
International Star Wars Fan Groups Now Accepting The Old Republic as Costume Canon
The Star Wars costuming organizations are very strict when it comes to the costumes they allow to represent them. A game isn’t really a Star Wars game until the fans accept it as an official costume. The announcement to let costumers submit designs based on the characters in the game, The Old Republic means SWTOR is officially being accepted by the community, even those who do not play the game. Kotaku.com says: “While it may seem like an insignificant development to the outsider, the fact that The Jedi Assembly and The Dark Empire are both accepting applications from costumers decked out in the latest The Old Republic gear is a huge step in legitimizing the game in the eyes of the more fervent fans. These are groups that are incredibly strict about the costumes they allow to represent their organizations (the Jedi more so than the Dark Side, appropriately enough).”…
Former “Star Wars” child actor Jake Lloyd vows never to act again
Continuing my NON SWTOR news, I got a story on the Former “Star Wars” child actor Jake Lloyd. Recently he told how he quit acting after school bullies mocked his Hollywood career and made life a “living hell.” Lloyd decided on an early retirement from acting because he was struggling to fit in after playing Anakin Skywalker in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” when he was just eight years old. He subsequently destroyed all his “Star Wars” memorabilia, and only ever stepped in front of the camera again to reprise his role as Anakin for five video games. He tells Blackbook Mag, “Other children were really mean to me. They would make the sound of the light saber every time they saw me. It was totally mad. “My entire school life was really a living hell – and I had to do up to 60 interviews a day.” Lloyd, who…
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Passes $1 Billion at Box Office
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace has officially joined the very exclusive ranks of movies that passed the $1 billion mark. With $1,000,447,819 worldwide, Phantom Menace is the 11th film to reach this milestone and the first in the Star Wars series. Before its current 3D re-release, The Phantom Menace had about $926.1 million worldwide but thanks to a strong $74.3 million gathered across the world in this year, the once mythical billion dollar threshold was finally reached. To think that back in 1999 we only had a single film over that mark, Titanic, while today we have 11 and the number is sure to grow fast in the future thanks to 3D and the constant rise of movie ticket prices. Now The Phantom Menace might not be considered the most worthy of the six Star Wars flicks to reach such heights but realistically speaking, it was the…
Rare Video Interview with Ackbar Voice Actor
“It’s a trap!” San Francisco’s SFGate.com has a rare video interview with KPFA radio dramatist Erik Bauersfeld. For those not up on their Star Wars trivia, Bauersfeld is the voice of Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi. He is responsible for the iconic “It’s a trap!” line and he was also the voice of Bib Fortuna and he even auditioned for the voice of Yoda. Here are some interesting facts from the interview: When the movie first released, he wasn’t listed on the cast but has been credited since then. He was unaware that his famous line had become an Internet meme. He’s still never seen the original “Star Wars”. He saves Star Wars fan letters in a filing cabinet and writes a personal response to each one. Here is a few more videos you should checkout:
George Lucas Says Han Never Shot First; Addresses Disgruntled Fans
“Changes are not unusual — I mean, most movies when they release them they make changes. But somehow, when I make the slightest change, everybody thinks it’s the end of the world,” Lucas told the Hollywood Reporter. Remember when we told you about George Lucas retiring from Star Wars and how he blamed the haters? Well, he’s back with another interview to defend himself and his creative works. He’s been doing quite a few interviews lately to help promote his newest brainchild, “Red Tails”. He discusses how the fans take his work so seriously and says “When I make the slightest change, everyone think it’s the end of the world.” When you look at all the controversies that have come up regarding Star Wars, the movies and the different versions of them, it’s easy to see where he gets this opinion. As a Star Wars fan, I can understand but…
George Lucas to Retire from Star Wars: Blames Disgruntled Fans
Have you ever felt unappreciated in your job or maybe in some other role in your life? As a full-time writer, I can tell you that I definitely know the feeling. However, someone you might not expect to know that feeling is George Lucas. At 67, he’s created an empire of himself, namely with his Star Wars legacy and also four popular Indiana Jones films. So you can imagine Lucas’ surprise when he pitched his new film, “Red Tails” and no one from Hollywood even wanted to take a peak. The New York Times reports on what must have been a new feeling for George Lucas: “He made a movie about a plucky band of freedom fighters who battle an evil empire — a movie loaded with special effects like no one had seen before.” In an interview with the New York Times, Lucas explains why he is retiring from…
Star Wars Fan Killed His Wife after ‘She Smashed His Toy Collection’
In a terribly sad report of the news, one Star Wars fan lost it and killed his wife after she supposedly smashed his Star Wars collectibles after a fight. According to news reports, “Rickie La-Touche, 30, told a court that his Thai wife Pornpilai Srisroy, 28, had damaged his precious Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker memorabilia.” He choked her allegedly to death and then ran to tell his mother what he had done. La-Touche, also known as Rickie Nehls, was found guilty of murder and was ordered to serve a minimum of 12 years. Tragic wife Pornpilai Srisroy Was this another case of a crazed fan gone wild or is this just the media trying to make it into more than what it really was? The news reports say that the couple fought often and that his Thai wife was threatening to leave him and go back to Thailand. He…
A New Season of the Clone Wars Approaches
USA Today covered the news of a new season of the Clone Wars in a piece called Admiral Ackbar stars in animated ‘Star Wars’ that gives us some really good info about the upcoming episodes and what it’s all about. Star Wars fans far and wide can get excited about this news. A snippet from the USA Today report: “The military amphibian from Return of the Jedi appears in the fourth-season premiere of Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Friday night (8 p.m. ET/PT), although he’s a bit younger than he has been seen before. He’s just Captain Ackbar during the Clone Wars, which happen decades before he leads the Rebel Alliance’s assault on the second Death Star.” The USA Today report mostly focuses on Admiral Ackbar and his return to the series but they also mention Bo-Katan who Katee Sackhoff will be voicing later in the season….
Five Stages of Star Wars Revisionism Fan Grief
I wonder how much of this is age related. ROTJ came out when I was three, so for most of my childhood we kids still loved Star Wars, but adults, having lived through the hype of the late 70s and early 80s, were pretty much sick of it. From about 1985 until 1995 there wasn’t anything Star Wars in the stores at all. Nothing. I got my Star Wars fix off of old Star Wars Marvel comics in the 25 cent bin at the local comic shop, and a couple of video games. It came on TV once a year, but mostly it was kind of a cult thing like Pulp Fiction; a good movie but that’s about it. Certainly not a major cultural force anymore. I remember being amazed when they announced the Thrawn trilogy; for a lot of us this was as close as we ever figured we’d…
Sneak Peeks at Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 4
Thanks to IGN.com we have nine brand new pre-release images of the upcoming fourth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including a first look at Karakarodon shark-man Riff Tamson and R2D2 and C3PO in full Gulliver’s Travels mode… Once more the character design team have got it spot on, and this fourth season is certainly looking good so far.